Aday Mara (2005) - the spanish freak?

[King Ken]

Why is he any different than Hasheem Thabeet?

Thabeet was a better player in college as a freshman and sophomore than Mara. Was an elite shot blocker just like Mara at 7-3 and had the same career efg% and was a better FT shooter than Mara.

Thabeet is better and more talented. Mara feel for the game and passing removes the high bust potential that Thabeet had.

[Upperclass]

at 7'2+ all you have to do is know how to play basketball.. Mara does.. Thabeet did not

[Hook_Em]

Why is he any different than Hasheem Thabeet?

Thabeet was a better player in college as a freshman and sophomore than Mara. Was an elite shot blocker just like Mara at 7-3 and had the same career efg% and was a better FT shooter than Mara.

Thabeet is better and more talented. Mara feel for the game and passing removes the high bust potential that Thabeet had.

Thabeet was a 2nd rd talent. Complete stiff physically and mentally.

[tmorgan]

I’ve softened a little on Mara, but I still think it’s pretty crazy to invest a lottery pick in a guy that AT BEST will be a pretty low minute backup for a few years. And the team that takes him better be on the slow side in terms of desired pace, because that’s all he can do.

He can do some fun stuff right away, like a mediocre Marc Gasol imitation from the high post. But he’s gonna get cooked on switches, so he’ll need to play extreme drop coverage, and I expect to see him have trouble holding position on both ends of the floor. With that crazy frame of his, he’d need Boozer-sized legs to keep from getting pushed around.

[King Ken]

Why is he any different than Hasheem Thabeet?

Thabeet was a better player in college as a freshman and sophomore than Mara. Was an elite shot blocker just like Mara at 7-3 and had the same career efg% and was a better FT shooter than Mara.

Thabeet is better and more talented. Mara feel for the game and passing removes the high bust potential that Thabeet had.

Thabeet was a 2nd rd talent. Complete stiff physically and mentally.

Thabeet getting drafted when he did was no shock to anyone at that time but now he's a 2nd round talent? If he's a 2nd round talent, what is Mara? Undrafted talent?

[FarBeyondDriven]

I’ve softened a little on Mara, but I still think it’s pretty crazy to invest a lottery pick in a guy that AT BEST will be a pretty low minute backup for a few years. And the team that takes him better be on the slow side in terms of desired pace, because that’s all he can do.

He can do some fun stuff right away, like a mediocre Marc Gasol imitation from the high post. But he’s gonna get cooked on switches, so he’ll need to play extreme drop coverage, and I expect to see him have trouble holding position on both ends of the floor. With that crazy frame of his, he’d need Boozer-sized legs to keep from getting pushed around.

Watch on YouTube

defense starts at 19:00

he's improved dramatically. He's better than most centers in the league in space especially compared to them when they were drafted. This is no longer really a flaw to his game. Biggest con is that he lacks conditioning which has forced him to play just 24 mpg. I think it's just taking him longer to adjust to his body. He'll still a work in progress physically but he should be able to help off the bench immediately and hopefully start in 2-3 years. No different than Maluach who went #10 last year or Clingan #7 the draft before

[King Ken]

I’ve softened a little on Mara, but I still think it’s pretty crazy to invest a lottery pick in a guy that AT BEST will be a pretty low minute backup for a few years. And the team that takes him better be on the slow side in terms of desired pace, because that’s all he can do.

He can do some fun stuff right away, like a mediocre Marc Gasol imitation from the high post. But he’s gonna get cooked on switches, so he’ll need to play extreme drop coverage, and I expect to see him have trouble holding position on both ends of the floor. With that crazy frame of his, he’d need Boozer-sized legs to keep from getting pushed around.

His post defense is really something that's a negative. I've seen too many get into his body who are just decent. In the NBA, he will get cooked. There is things to like

Feel for the game
Screening
Passing
Paint protection

Not the biggest fan of his rim protection
I think and he can prove me wrong this week that he's simply an average athlete for his size.

The best thing about him is his feel and passing. He won't be out of place in short spurts.

Anyone thinking he's Bogut, replacing Hartenstein or being the big Atlanta needs is delusional. Even talk of 14 for Charlotte is premature.

That said, I do take the combine very serious for centers. Everything matters to me as why what happens in the NBA, how you test and measure, matters.

[GSWFan1994]

I think some team is going to overreach on him as a rationale for a counter on a Wemby matchup.

[King Ken]

I’ve softened a little on Mara, but I still think it’s pretty crazy to invest a lottery pick in a guy that AT BEST will be a pretty low minute backup for a few years. And the team that takes him better be on the slow side in terms of desired pace, because that’s all he can do.

He can do some fun stuff right away, like a mediocre Marc Gasol imitation from the high post. But he’s gonna get cooked on switches, so he’ll need to play extreme drop coverage, and I expect to see him have trouble holding position on both ends of the floor. With that crazy frame of his, he’d need Boozer-sized legs to keep from getting pushed around.

Watch on YouTube

defense starts at 19:00

he's improved dramatically. He's better than most centers in the league in space especially compared to them when they were drafted. This is no longer really a flaw to his game. Biggest con is that he lacks conditioning which has forced him to play just 24 mpg. I think it's just taking him longer to adjust to his body. He'll still a work in progress physically but he should be able to help off the bench immediately and hopefully start in 2-3 years. No different than Maluach who went #10 last year or Clingan #7 the draft before

Those players are a lot more athletic than he is. You are confusing fluidity for athleticism. I thought we went through this with Edey. You need athleticism as a five more than fluidity in the NBA on defense. Offense, sure, fluidity is far more important but defensively, he doesn't move quickly. His best defensive traits are
Feel
He does have a quick jump even if he lacks explosiveness but at his size, it doesn't matter as he has tremendous length and size.
Elite Hibbert like paint protector.

His rim protection just doesn’t look any good to me. Especially watching full games.

[JMAC3]

Laughing at seeing people suggest he should go as 5th to the Clippers now. What could go wrong picking a guy that was ranked 10th-25th a week ago based purely on positional need....

[ROballer]

The Clippers don't even need him.

Yanic clears all day long.

[sisibilio]

Why is he any different than Hasheem Thabeet?

Thabeet was a better player in college as a freshman and sophomore than Mara. Was an elite shot blocker just like Mara at 7-3 and had the same career efg% and was a better FT shooter than Mara.

Thabeet is better and more talented.

Talented at what? Certainly It can't be at the game of basketball.

[sisibilio]

Thabeet is better and more talented. Mara feel for the game and passing removes the high bust potential that Thabeet had.

Thabeet was a 2nd rd talent. Complete stiff physically and mentally.

Thabeet getting drafted when he did was no shock to anyone at that time but now he's a 2nd round talent? If he's a 2nd round talent, what is Mara? Undrafted talent?

Most people thought drafting him in the top 10, let alone 2, was a terrible mistake.

[JMAC3]

Thabeet was a 2nd rd talent. Complete stiff physically and mentally.

Thabeet getting drafted when he did was no shock to anyone at that time but now he's a 2nd round talent? If he's a 2nd round talent, what is Mara? Undrafted talent?

Most people thought drafting him in the top 10, let alone 2, was a terrible mistake.

Hindsight is a helluva drug.

[King Ken]

Thabeet was a 2nd rd talent. Complete stiff physically and mentally.

Thabeet getting drafted when he did was no shock to anyone at that time but now he's a 2nd round talent? If he's a 2nd round talent, what is Mara? Undrafted talent?

Most people thought drafting him in the top 10, let alone 2, was a terrible mistake.

No. I was around a lot of decision makers then. No one really had a problem with it. Especially since everyone had major flaws after Griffin in that class.

[King Ken]

Why is he any different than Hasheem Thabeet?

Thabeet was a better player in college as a freshman and sophomore than Mara. Was an elite shot blocker just like Mara at 7-3 and had the same career efg% and was a better FT shooter than Mara.

Thabeet is better and more talented.

Talented at what? Certainly It can't be at the game of basketball.

It's quite a lot. I can break down where he's more talented. Thabeet not working in the NBA is all on Thabeet. He just didn't want it. Once he got that check, he was gone.

[peZt]

Thabeet is better and more talented.

Talented at what? Certainly It can't be at the game of basketball.

It's quite a lot. I can break down where he's more talented. Thabeet not working in the NBA is all on Thabeet. He just didn't want it. Once he got that check, he was gone.

There is literally just one thing Thabeet is more "talented" at: Jumping higher

[King Ken]

Talented at what? Certainly It can't be at the game of basketball.

It's quite a lot. I can break down where he's more talented. Thabeet not working in the NBA is all on Thabeet. He just didn't want it. Once he got that check, he was gone.

There is literally just one thing Thabeet is more "talented" at: Jumping higher

Quickness (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Real burst for a 7-3 player
- Mara: Slow but moves well, no upshift

Full Court Speed (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Beats guards in transition, runs with the play
- Mara: Last man down the floor, slow to build momentum

Lateral Movement for Size (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Can switch and guard out to the 3-point line
- Mara: Exposed in space, no recovery quickness

Explosiveness (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Off the floor in a flash, elite vertical for size
- Mara: Ground-bound in games despite a clean 33-inch max at BWB. Today, his max vert was 28 inches.

Athleticism (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Rare size, speed, and bounce combination
- Mara: Below NBA-average for the position

Body Type for Position (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Functional 7-3 frame with room to add mass
- Mara: Narrow shoulders, no base, weak legs, wrong frame for the 5

Acceleration & Deceleration (Thabeet)
- Thabeet: Has real gears for a 7-footer
- Mara: One speed, no pace change

Fluidity (Mara)
- Thabeet: Mechanical, jerky, robotic in his movement
- Mara: Smooth and coordinated, moves like a European multi-sport athlete

Finishing (Mara)
- Thabeet: Lob and putback dependent, limited touch
- Mara: 67% from the floor, NBA-level efficiency at the rim

Feel for the Game (Mara)
- Thabeet: Still learning, raw instincts
- Mara: Plays within himself, mature reads, always in the right spot

BBIQ (Mara)
- Thabeet: Coachable but processing slowly
- Mara: High-level processing on both ends

Paint Protection / Rim Protection (both)
- Thabeet: 4.5 bpg, elite anchor, mobile rim deterrent
- Mara: 2.6 bpg, smart and positional, length over leap

Passing (Mara)
- Thabeet: Solid outlets, limited beyond that
- Mara: 2.5 apg, real high-post facilitator, short-roll reads

Shooting
- Thabeet: 12-15 footers in the offense, soft stroke, projectable
- Mara: Open gym sniper but the form collapses in motion. Classic Josh Smith / Zac Risacher problem. 15 mechanical things going on in the jumper that only surface once he's moving in game flow

Hands (tied)
- Thabeet: Soft, reliable, rarely bobbles
- Mara: Soft, reliable, NBA-grade catch radius

Free Throw
- Thabeet: 63% with good form, projectable to mid-70s
- Mara: 56.4%, real concern with no clear fix

Post Game (both limited)
- Thabeet: Raw, no go-to move, puts ball on the floor
- Mara: Gets moved off the block, no anchor base

Self-Creation
- Thabeet: None
- Mara: None

P&R Defense
- Thabeet: Tools to recover but got tangled in college
- Mara: Drop coverage only, no flexibility

Switchability
- Thabeet: Rare switch ability for 7-3
- Mara: None, scheme-dependent

Rebounding
- Thabeet: Above average on the defensive glass, real nose for the ball
- Mara: 6.8 rpg, positional, can't box out NBA bodies

Toughness & Anchoring
- Thabeet: Question mark, hits the floor too much
- Mara: Willing but structurally outmatched

Big Game Performance
- Thabeet: Helpless vs DeJuan Blair, failed the NBA-body test
- Mara: 26/9/3/2 vs Arizona in the Final Four

Conference Hardware
- Thabeet: Big East DPOY
- Mara: Big Ten DPOY

Background
- Thabeet: Late starter, raw, age uncertain
- Mara: Multi-sport European pro base, more developed feel

Offensive Role at Next Level
- Thabeet: Athletic lob threat and rim runner
- Mara: PnR vertical roller with short-roll passing, almost entirely scheme-fed

Motivation & Love for the Game
- Thabeet: Memphis teammates confirmed the talent was real. He got the check and mailed it in. The love wasn't there
- Mara: European pro system, professional demeanor, Final Four engagement. The work and the want look real

NBA Archetype
- Thabeet: Tools bet, athletic anchor projection
- Mara: PnR-dependent backup 5 with feel and low stamina

Translation Risk
- Thabeet: Talent was NBA-ready. Heart wasn't. Career was a motivation failure dressed up as a skill ceiling
- Mara: Frame caps the ceiling, scheme misfit kills the floor. But the motor and the want should keep him on the floor wherever he lands

[King Ken]

I am 100% stamping it. He will be a bust, as I stamped it with Culver and Davis. The tape is not good. Offense translates, but it's not that good. Defense doesn't, and that's supposed to be what he is. The opposite of Zach Edey. People are falling in love with his fluidity, but they don't realize he's slow as ****, no burst, poor center frame, narrow shoulders, no ass, he can't give it or take it, and survive. I wouldn't touch him even in the late teens. 20s, I can approve that, but you would do better taking one of the potential guys with a low floor.

Whoever drafts him high will instantly regret it, and that shooting in the open gym is NOT real.

[tmorgan]

Good summary. Seems like a great kid that really wants it. Which means very little, sadly.

He should donate a lot of his rookie deal to May and Michigan. Or May should follow him to the pros (no no no, Dusty, please don’t).